Do You Care If Your Elected Officials Cheat on Their Wives?

[Recidiva]

Well, I agree that I don't look to any of them for marital advice. But I still get pretty kick ass legal advice from a certain friend of mine. It's like EQ v. IQ. People are good at different things. Some people are terrible at law school but are excellent lawyers. Some people are terrible at negotiating marriage but are great at herding a bunch of politicians together to vote their way. Maybe there is a distinction between inspirational leader and nuts and bolts, get it done, politicians. An overlap of the two in one person is a rare thing.

Being a lawyer is absolutely perfect. Very good at building defenses and looking out for a single person's best interest. Great job. Compartmentalized and perfectly suited. Keeper.

Anybody could have stayed single or gotten a divorce. Choosing not to own up and do so is telling. Tells me a lot.

It means they're afraid of public opinion and confrontation and keeping up appearances. None of these are things I value and in fact I do everything I can to avoid. Fear isn't a big selling point for me. Demonstration of fear and caving before circumstances, no matter how prettily presented or "complicated" means nothing to me. It's all justification.

 

[intothewoods]

Being a lawyer is absolutely perfect. Very good at building defenses and looking out for a single person's best interest. Great job. Compartmentalized and perfectly suited. Keeper.

Never trust a lawyer I always say!

 

[Recidiva]

Never trust a lawyer I always say!

It's not about trust. It's about how well you pay them. So it takes care of itself. Just be rich and everything's cool.

 

[intothewoods]

It's not about trust. It's about how well you pay them. So it takes care of itself. Just be rich and everything's cool.

Ohhhh, good to know.

 

[JMohegan]

Well, I agree that I don't look to any of them for marital advice. But I still get pretty kick ass legal advice from a certain friend of mine. It's like EQ v. IQ. People are good at different things. Some people are terrible at law school but are excellent lawyers. Some people are terrible at negotiating marriage but are great at herding a bunch of politicians together to vote their way. Maybe there is a distinction between inspirational leader and nuts and bolts, get it done, politicians. An overlap of the two in one person is a rare thing.

Again, I'm going to inject political reality here.

You will never be effective at herding a bunch of politicians together to vote your way, if your public approval rating just took a nosedive because you fucked around with an intern, or some chick with a video camera on the campaign trail, or some piece of ass in Argentina.

 

[eastern sun]

I'm still pissed at Buddha for abandoning his wife and son.

Me, too.

And listening to monks justify his actions because of the impact he's had on the greater good doesn't work for me either.

Sometimes it's easier to be kind to people you don't know.

edited to add: from what I understand, he went back and made amends to his wife and son and countrymen after he became enlightened. Enlightenment sends you back to your loved ones, to do right by them, and ease their suffering.

 

[Recidiva]

Again, I'm going to inject political reality here.

You will never be effective at herding a bunch of politicians together to vote your way, if your public approval rating just took a nosedive because you fucked around with an intern, or some chick with a video camera on the campaign trail, or some piece of ass in Argentina.

I prefer knowing my politicians don't have a ready-made blackmail issue for anybody willing to dig and knowing that they'll cave to pressure.

 

[nh23]

Never trust a lawyer I always say!

*snorts*

 

[BiBunny]

I think each individual situation is different and that you can't really know what you'd do in another person's shoes. It's one thing to hope you'd do the right thing or believe you'd do the right thing (whatever the "right" thing might be in that case), but until it's staring you in the face, you're just guessing.

So, no, I don't really care what politicians do in bed, as long as they don't care what I do in mine. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, etc., etc.

 

[Recidiva]

Me, too.

And listening to monks justify his actions because of the impact he's had on the greater good doesn't work for me either.

Sometimes it's easier to be kind to people you don't know.

I take responsibility seriously enough to keep my promises or admit I can't and won't and do what I have to in order to be fair to everyone involved.

I reject the "everyone does it" argument. Because I don't. And I've had PLENTY of opportunity.

A basic inability to know right from wrong is not a good selling point.

Maybe if you're not married you don't get this. Here's a solution: Ask anybody who has been cheated on how they felt about it. Maybe if you don't have kids you don't get this. Solution: Ask any kid whose parents were absent and emotionally unavailable how they felt about it.

Then ask yourself: Does their vote count? Why? Why not?

 

[Netzach]

And wouldn't the leaders mentioned by Nezatch have been BETTER if they'd shown the integrity required in their family lives to set an example other than "Man, American Presidents were horndogs."

Maybe maybe not. Maybe with no sense of outlet they'd be much worse.

I don't fucking know, and neither does anyone.

But enjoy the thread, those who think they do.

 

[Recidiva]

I think each individual situation is different and that you can't really know what you'd do in another person's shoes. It's one thing to hope you'd do the right thing or believe you'd do the right thing (whatever the "right" thing might be in that case), but until it's staring you in the face, you're just guessing.

So, no, I don't really care what politicians do in bed, as long as they don't care what I do in mine. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, etc., etc.

Fine. *throws stones*

Really, I have gone through this fire several times. I know how hard it is.

But if someone thinks politics is easier, they're dreaming.

 

[Netzach]

I prefer knowing my politicians don't have a ready-made blackmail issue for anybody willing to dig and knowing that they'll cave to pressure.

Then you won't be voting for any homos for another hundred years or something.

 

[Recidiva]

Maybe maybe not. Maybe with no sense of outlet they'd be much worse.

I don't fucking know, and neither does anyone.

But enjoy the thread, those who think they do.

Fine. Get divorced, then you don't need an outlet. Then you have freedom to do what you want.

Not hard.

If you can't, be celibate until you're out of office.

There's no defense for fucking around. None. Do with or do without. Do not "outlet" and think that's just peachy because you're doing everyone else so much good. That's justifying bullshit.

 

[Recidiva]

Then you won't be voting for any homos for another hundred years or something.

This is just silly. Barney Frank's doing fine. He was brave and honest and I'd vote for him.

Homosexuality is a selling point in the right district and if you can't pick that district, you're an idiot.

 

[nh23]

I think each individual situation is different and that you can't really know what you'd do in another person's shoes. It's one thing to hope you'd do the right thing or believe you'd do the right thing (whatever the "right" thing might be in that case), but until it's staring you in the face, you're just guessing.

So, no, I don't really care what politicians do in bed, as long as they don't care what I do in mine. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, etc., etc.

Ditto.

 

[Netzach]

LOL Buddha lived in ANCIENT INDIA.

Holding modern western standards of behavior, hell contemporary ones into play is laughably new age. Laughably. The fact that he saw women as human beings was pretty novel.


Now I'm really out of here. Enjoy the moral certitude.

 

[Keroin]

Then you won't be voting for any homos for another hundred years or something.

Careful with the "extremely offensive" analogies.

 

[Netzach]

Fine. Get divorced, then you don't need an outlet. Then you have freedom to do what you want.

Not hard.

If you can't, be celibate until you're out of office.

There's no defense for fucking around. None. Do with or do without. Do not "outlet" and think that's just peachy because you're doing everyone else so much good. That's justifying bullshit.

Yep, I'm just full of fucking bullshit. A worthless human being.

 

[Recidiva]

LOL Buddha lived in ANCIENT INDIA.

Holding modern western standards of behavior, hell contemporary ones into play is laughably new age. Laughably. The fact that he saw women as human beings was pretty novel.


Now I'm really out of here. Enjoy the moral certitude.

That's just an excuse. Parents have realized the need to care for their children even in Ancient India.

If he was so damned enlightened, that might have occurred to him.

Give me a break.

 

[BiBunny]

Fine. *throws stones*

Really, I have gone through this fire several times. I know how hard it is.

But if someone thinks politics is easier, they're dreaming.

Does it make you feel better to know that your willpower is stronger than others'?

Are you morally superior if you don't eat that piece of chocolate cake, and the lady beside you does? Does it make you a better person that so-and-so smokes, and you don't?

I'm not trying to be a cunt here. I'm seriously wondering if people judge others by their natural willpower in the face of temptation.

 

[Netzach]

Careful with the "extremely offensive" analogies.

That was everyone's justification for everything and still is.

They're blackmail-able.

Just go apply for a job that requires clearances.

 

[Recidiva]

Yep, I'm just full of fucking bullshit. A worthless human being.

So if you run for office I won't vote for you. Are you running for office?

You can be a lawyer or collect stamps or be a dominatrix. Those are cool.

 

[Netzach]

That's just an excuse. Parents have realized the need to care for their children even in Ancient India.

If he was so damned enlightened, that might have occurred to him.

Give me a break.

If he was so damn enlightned he'd have been a contemporary American. Yep.

 

[Recidiva]

Does it make you feel better to know that your willpower is stronger than others'?

Are you morally superior if you don't eat that piece of chocolate cake, and the lady beside you does? Does it make you a better person that so-and-so smokes, and you don't?

I'm not trying to be a cunt here. I'm seriously wondering if people judge others by their natural willpower in the face of temptation.

How the hell does eating cake compare to breaking a vow that's theoretically sacred and legally binding?

What the fuck?

If I made a promise to not eat cake and someone else promised not to eat cake with me I'd either not eat the cake or say "Fuck that, I'm eating it and you are also free to eat cake again. I can't keep that promise."

How hard is that?